Prior art disk pack assemblies conventionally include a hub and a disk pack of one or more disks secured to the hub. The disk pack is clamped between an external flange at one end of the hub and a clamp at the other end of the hub. One or more screws are employed to secure the clamp to the hub and to bias the clamp to apply critical axial pressure to the disk pack. Usually the disks of the disk pack are separated by spacer rings in a stack clamped between the external flange on the hub and the clamp. Where the disks are of a brittle material, such as glass or a ceramic material, axial compliance in the stack is provided to obviate disk fracture as clamping pressure varies in the presence of environmental thermal cycling.
Conventional screw attachments of the clamp to the hub require extreme care in assembly to achieve the correct clamping pressure and to achieve uniformity of circumferential clamping pressure, if disk warpage is to be avoided.
One method to eliminate screw attachments comprises the use of a shrink ring, either as part of the clamp or as a separate ring to secure the clamp axially to the hub with the disk pack under clamping pressure. This shrink ring process, while effective, is intricate and requires a significant process development and support effort, necessitating a carefully controlled heating temperature, delicate handling of the heated ring to avoid physical damage and uneven cooling, and swift transition from the heater to precise placement and clamping force at installation.